Gourt Home::Gourt :: Battles of Barfleur and La Hougue
The related naval battles of Barfleur and La Hougue took place between 27 May and 3 June, 1692 (17-23 May in the Julian calendar then in use in England) at Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue near Barfleur in the Cotentin peninsula, Normandy, France. It was the decisive naval battle of the War of the Grand Alliance. In May 1692 the French fleet of 44 ships of the line under the command of the Comte Anne Hilarion de Tourville was preparing to transport an invading army of Franco-Irish troops to restore James II to the English throne. The French victory at the Battle of Beachy Head two years earlier, in June 1690, had opened up the possibility of destroying the allied fleet and landing an invading army. Tourville boldly engaged the 98 strong Anglo-Dutch fleet at Barfleur. He won the engagement against great odds, sinking two enemy ships without losing a single vessel, but coming under increasing pressure with his flagship badly damaged, he slipped off into light fog and for several days tried to escape the superior forces. Fifteen ships were lost trying to find shelter, the majority being burnt on the beach at la Hougue. The threat of invasion of England was lifted.
Barfleur
King Louis XIV and his naval minister, Pontchartrain, planned to land an army in England and restore James II to the throne. They first planned to launch the invasion in April 1692 before the English and Dutch fleets had got to sea and joined up. Troops were collected at Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue and the calvary and guns were to be loaded into transports at Le Havre. Tourville was to bring the French fleet up from Brest and collect the transports and the troops, then fight off the English fleet and land the army in England. Tourville was delayed a month because the transports were not ready, and then Villotte-Mursay was late bringing his ships from Rochefort. D'Estrées with the Toulon squadron had still not arrived, but Tourville could wait no longer, and set to sea to go and collect the army.
On 28 May off Cape Barfleur, which is at the NE corner of the Cherbourg peninsula, Tourville perceived through the early morning mist a portion of the Anglo-Dutch Grand Fleet of 99 (or 98) ships, 20 yachts and 19 fire ships commanded by Admiral Edward Russell who were looking for the French Fleet. Russell had aleady the previous day given the signal to form line of battle with the 27 Dutch ships under Lieutenant-Admiral Philips van Almonde leading. At 5 a.m. on 28 May the log of the English ship Monmouth records that the French fleet was spotted to windward. Tourville was heavily outnumbered and offered battle only because Louis' strict orders compelled him to engage the enemy. In the SW breeze the French sailed down wind onto the 11 ships of the Red squadron and about 10 a.m. engaged them in battle, after some time all the French fleet was engaged.
The power of guns of the largest French ships, their manoeuverabilty, and Tourville's superior formation enabled the French to deliver a fierce cannonade on the allies. One English and one Dutch ship were sunk. Some of the allied ships were hampered by the direction of the wind and could not start to close and engage until at about 2 p.m. the wind shifted to the NW, a quarter less favourable to the French. Eventually the ships on the starboard wing of the allied line, under the command of Ashby, managed to get to windward of the French and envelop the centre of the French line. A calm fell and the early evening became foggy. When the fog lifted there was further engagement for a few hours. Tourville, who had suffered grevious damage to his flag ship and several other ships by then, recognised it was futile to continue longer, and gave the order to disperse. The Captain Robinson of the Monmouth noted in his log that 4 French ships were burning that night.
Although the French fought with great bravery and their most powerful ships inflicted losses on the allies, the numerical advantage of the allies had proved decisive in forcing Tourville to break off. Tactically, Barfleur was an impressive French victory born of a very uneven struggle, but Tourville was unable to extricate his badly damaged fleet and return safely to port, resulting in disaster at La Hougue.
Aftermath and the action at La Hougue
On the 29 May the French withdrawal was hampered by wind and tide, and the fact that, due to economies by the French Naval Ministry, many of the ships had anchors inadequate to withstand the strong tidal races in the region. There was also the lack of a fortified haven at Cherbourg. Tourville probably tried for too long to save his magnificent flagship, the Soleil Royal, but eventually he realised it was hopeless and switched his command to the Ambitieux. At the end of the day on 29 May Tourville gave the general order to flee.
The Soleil Royal, Admirable, and Triomphant where in such bad shape they had to be beached at Cherbourg. There they were soon destroyed under attack from long boats and with fire ships. 22 French ships fled west and were pursued through the Alderney Straits and made the safety of St Malo, 3 went NW to the English coast and then doubled back to Brest. Six ships under Nesmond went easterly, two making Le Havre, 2 drifted into the La Hougue Bay, and 2 sailed all the way up the Channel and around Britain to safety. Russell despatched Ashby and the Dutch after those that had fled to Saint-Malo. He and deLaval turned on the remaining ships which had sought refuge at La Hougue where they would be under the protection of the assembled land forces and a battery. On 2 June, Russell and deLaval attacked with long boats. By this time the French crews were exhausted and disheartened and were no match. The allies successfully deployed fire ships which burnt all twelve French ships of the line which had sought shelter there. This last mopping up action became celebrated in England as the Battle of La Hougue.
The dispersal of the French fleet put paid to the invasion plans, and the English victory was commemorated by a Fleet Review.
Ships involved
- Britain:
- Netherlands:
- Total allied: 98 ships with 7154 guns
- France: 44 ships with 3132 guns
| English ships | Guns | Fate | French ships (Tourville) | Guns | Fate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monmouth | Bourbon | 68 | Burnt La Hougue | ||
| Ossary | 90 | Monarque | 90 | ||
| ? | Sunk | Aimable | 70 | ||
| Britannia | 100 | Saint-Louis | 64 | Burnt La Hougue | |
| St Andrew | 96 | Diamant | 60 | ||
| London | 96 | Gaillard | 68 | Burnt La Hougue | |
| Kent | 70 | Terrible | 80 | Burnt La Hougue | |
| Royal Sovereign | Merveilleux | 90 | Burnt La Hougue | ||
| Duke | 90 | Tonnant | 80 | Burnt La Hougue | |
| Duchess | 90 | Saint-Michel | 60 | ||
| Victory | 50 | Sans Pareil (Vermandois?) | 62 | ||
| Oxford | Sérieux | 64 | |||
| Royal William | Foudroyant | 84 | Burnt La Hougue | ||
| St Albans | Brillant | 62 | |||
| Cornwall | Modéré | 52 | |||
| Northumberland | Illustre | 70 | |||
| Devonshire | Souverain | 80 | |||
| Content | 68 | ||||
| Admirable | 90 | Burnt Cherbourg | |||
| Dutch ships | Guns | Fate | Saint-Philippe | 84 | Burnt La Hougue |
| ? | Sunk | Soleil Royal | 104 | Burnt Cherbourg | |
| Prins Willem | 92 | Conquérant | 84 | ||
| Admiraal-Generaal | 86 | Glorieux | 64 | ||
| Leyden | 64 | Perle | 52 | ||
| Courageux | 58 | ||||
| Maure | 52 | ||||
| Couronne | 76 | ||||
| Ambitieux | 96 | Burnt La Hougue | |||
| Henri | 64 | ||||
| Fort | 60 | Burnt La Hougue | |||
| Excellent | 60 | ||||
| Prince | 56 | ||||
| Magnifique | 86 | Burnt La Hougue | |||
| Laurier | 64 | ||||
| Brave | 58 | ||||
| Entendu | 60 | ||||
| Triomphant | 76 | Burnt Cherbourg | |||
| Orgueilleux | 94 | ||||
| Fier | 80 | Burnt La Hougue | |||
| Fleuron | 56 | ||||
| Courtisan | 64 | ||||
| Grand | 84 | ||||
| Saint-Esprit | 74 | ||||
| Sirène | 64 |
Sources
- Jenkins, E.H.: A History of the French Navy (1973)
- Log of capt. Robt. Robinson, Cmdr of ye Ship Monmouth, The National Archives ADM 51/4264, (1692)
- Rodger, N.A.M.: The Command of The Ocean, ISBN 0-713-99411-8 (2004)
1692 | Battles of the War of the Grand Alliance | Manche | Naval battles | Battles of the Netherlands
"Battles of Barfleur and La Hougue"